Yankees acquired LHP James Paxton from the Mariners for LHP Justus Sheffield, RHP Erik Swanson and OF Don Thompson-Williams.

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports was first to report the deal and it is now official. Sheffield is the headliner for Seattle, as he will immediately become their top prospect and should spend ample time in the big league rotation in 2019. Paxton's health history is sketchy to say the least -- he's never thrown more than 160 1/3 innings in the majors -- but he's a legitimate ace when on the mound. The Yankees will have the left-hander under team control for two years.

Mariano Rivera, Roy Halladay, and Andy Pettitte are among the first-time eligible players for the 2019 Hall of Fame ballot.

Todd Helton, Michael Young, and Miguel Tejada are among the other notable additions to the ballot. Rivera and the late Halladay should get in while Pettitte is a more complicated case. They'll join an impressive list of holdovers, including Edgar Martinez, who fell just 20 votes short last year. Results will be announced on January 22.

According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, the Nationals have agreed to a two-year deal with free agent catcher Kurt Suzuki.

The deal is pending a physical. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that it's a two-year, $10 million deal. Suzuki jumps to a division rival after spending the past two seasons with the Braves. The 35-year-old batted .271/.332/.444 with 12 homers over 105 games in 2018. This will be Suzuki's second stint with Washington, as he previously played for the club in 2012 and 2013.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the Astros' have made an "initial offer" of one year with an option to free agent right-hander Charlie Morton.

Terms aren't known, but the guarantee would presumably be less than the one-year, $17.9 million qualifying offer that the Astros declined to make earlier this month. Morton just turned 35 and will likely have short-term offers to choose from on the open market, but he'll surely keep trying for two guaranteed years from someone.

He will likely serve in a utility role for his new team and can be viewed as a replacement for Marwin Gonzalez, who is likely to depart in free agency. Diaz played in 130 games for the Blue Jays this year, slashing .263/.303/.453 with 18 home runs and 55 RBI.

The procedure was expected after Jansen dealt with an irregular heartbeat again this season. The best-case scenario for his recovery is two weeks, although it could take him as long as eight weeks. The closer is expected to be ready for the start of spring training either way.

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports first reported the deal and the Red Sox have officially announced it. After batting .279/.394/.507 with seven homers over 50 games down the stretch for the Red Sox, Pearce took home World Series MVP honors on the strength of three home runs and eight RBI during the Fall Classic. He'll turn 36 next April but should be useful again in a platoon role at first base with Mitch Moreland.

Andy Martino of SNY.tv reports that the Yankees "have multiple offers on the table" for Sonny Gray and appear close to trading the right-hander.

General manager Brian Cashman said last month that he expected to trade Gray and he noted at last week's GM Meetings that "a lot of teams" were interested in the hurler. The Yanks are weighing the offers for Gray and it sounds like they could pick one soon. Gray posted a 4.90 ERA in 2018 but would be a solid bounce-back candidate in a better environment. The Reds and A's are known to be in on Gray, but Martino says there are "approximately 11" teams interested.

Jon Heyman of Fancred Sports reports that James Paxton and Sonny Gray are the "main focus" for the Reds as they seek rotation upgrades.

Heyman notes that they've talked to the Indians about Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco, as well. The Reds have also been connected to the big free agent starter arms, as well, as it's clear they've intent on giving their rotation a shot in the arm this offseason. Paxton has been a popular trade target early on this winter, with the Yankees and Astros among the clubs also showing interest. Gray is a shoo-in to be dealt this offseason and would be reunited with former college pitching coach Derek Johnson in Cincinnati.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Padres "remain interested" in Noah Syndergaard.

The Padres had talks with the Mets about Syndergaard at the trade deadline and apparently are still interested in the talented right-hander. San Diego doesn't look like a contender now, but Syndergaard is under control for three more seasons and obviously the hope is that they'd push for a playoff spot during that window. They also have arguably the best farm system in the game, so putting together a viable package for "Thor" is doable. How eager the Mets might be to trade Syndergaard is another matter, especially with new general manager Brodie Van Wagenen in place. MLB.com's Jon Morosi has speculated that the Mets could trade Syndergaard or Jacob deGrom if they don't think they can extend them and then the team could sign a free agent like Patrick Corbin as a replacement.

MLB.com's Jon Morosi reports that the Phillies have interest in Patrick Corbin.

The Phils are expected to be among the biggest spenders this offseason, but they've mostly been connected to marquee position players Manny Machado and Bryce Harper. However, Morosi says they're also interested in rotation help after their starters struggled down the stretch. They also wouldn't mind adding a lefty to a righty-heavy rotation. The Yankees, Nationals, White Sox and Reds have also been connected to Corbin.

We and our partners use cookies on this site to improve our service, perform analytics, personalize advertising, measure advertising performance, and remember website preferences. By using the site, you consent to these cookies. for more information on cookies including how to manage your consent visit our cookie policy.